Pump That Tiger Spirit Up!

Let me just preface this post by saying, I never, ever thought in a million years I would have a daughter in cheerleading. But alas, a few months ago Maryn came to me and asked if she could do it. It is not competitive cheer, so there is no make-up and glitter and all that. Just little girls learning some cute, age-appropriate cheers. So I put my preconceived notions aside and consented. Maryn has had a lot of fun with it and now even Brynna wants to sign up for it next semester.

After several weeks of practice and learning the ropes, Maryn cheered at her first basketball game on Saturday. It was pretty dang cute seeing her out there all silly and having fun! You could tell which cheers were her favorites, because I had heard her around the house every now and again cheering under her breath. Through it all she had a grin on her face the whole time and almost a Mary Catherine Gallagher type enthusiasm! Justin and I loved seeing her so happy and just kept stealing glances and smiling at each other.

Justin (who spent many years covering college level basketball recruiting) texted his brother, Kevin, at one point (who is a D-League basketball coach) and said "I am at my first basketball game where I am not here for the ball, but for the cheering." It was kind of funny how these little girls have softened my big manly man! ;)

Another funny part was before the game, while the girls were out in the hall warming up, some of the 3rd Grade basketball players were standing behind me and I heard them saying things like "Hey man, we have our own cheerleaders!" To which another boy said "No way!" "Yeah we do man, go look!" They all scooted over to the door and looked out in the hall and giggled and said "Aw man, we DO have our own cheerleaders!" It was pretty cute that it made them feel so special. In fact they smeared the opposing team, so I would like to think it was all that support that helped fuel the win! ;)

I also heard a boy saying to his friends when he saw Brynna, sitting with Lauryn and Devyn, "Hey that's Maryn's sister! They have FOUR girls in their family!!" Nice to know we are a memorable group! I also overheard a boy behind me pointing Maryn out to his Dad telling him "Hey, I know that girl! She is a friend in my class!" Despite being raised in a house full of girls Maryn gets exhausted with the ins and outs of 3rd Grade girl drama and has told me that she has a lot of "guy friends" since the girls are a headache sometimes. So it was cute to see some of those "guy friends" excited to see her too!

Overall, I am glad that Maryn went out on a limb and is trying something new that she enjoys and that she is broadening her ol' Momma and Dad's horizons!

Wacky Wednesday

I know I am a little late to the game, but Lauryn had 'Wacky Wednesday' last week at this time and I must say, she certainly was looking quite wacky! Love that kid! She is too fun!

Pearl the Unicorn

Maryn has endless stories floating around in her head. Her ability to conjure up a work of fiction with really very little prompting and really develop characters and feel exactly how their personalities are amaze me! Tonight she worked on an assignment to create, out of household objects, a figure using at least five geometric shapes.

Pearl's Geometric Shapes
1. Eyes - Cubes made out of clay
2. Legs, feet and neck - Cylinders made out of wood and cardboard rolls
3. Head - Sphere made out of a foam ball
4. Body - Rectangular Prism made out of a milk jug
5. Horn - Cone made from and ice cream cone
Maryn also used the bottom of a drink carrier for her nose, yarn for hair, floral wire for eyelashes and of course some paint to bring her to life!

She was then to bring this creature to life through an accompanying story. This is what she came up with...I wish I didn't have to cut her off prematurely. She was having so much fun writing and giggling as she told us about each character and twist and turn! I had to tell her to end the story because she needed to get to work on finishing her character's figure! I hope someday she continues the adventures of Pearl the Unicorn though! (I tried to keep the spelling and punctuation exactly as she had it in her handwritten version.)

PEARL THE UNICORN
By Maryn Young

Once upon a time, there was a unicorn named Pearl. Pearl was beautiful! She lived in a land in the middle of the Atantic Ocean shaped like a rhombus. Her best friend was a dragon made out of paralellagrams. His name was Emroled. ("I just kind of wanted it to be like Harold, Dad!") Pearl had a lucky neclace that kept her safe from Wizzer the Wicked Wizzard. He and his scalene triangle three-headed dogs wanted to capture Pearl. But Pearl NEVER got caught.

One day when Pearl was picking smectric flowers, she saw one of Wizzer's three-headed dog spying on her. So she ran like the wind to tell Emroled. Emroled was angry to hear this. So he stormed out of his hexogon house and scared the three-headed dog away......

Back at Wizzer's pollygon castle, Wizzer was makeing a potion made of line segments. Then he said "Pearl's necklace must go away," His scalene three-headed dogs' heads nodded in agreement Now there's a funny thing about when they nod. You see, Wizzer has 27 dogs times threee heads equals 50 heads altoghether. (I need to have her check her math...She was in 'creative juices flowing' mode...) So all 50 nodded in agreement. "So we must get rid of it in some way." Wizzer finally said. "So I am going to think this in pe...CLUNK!" Wizzer had triped over his magic ball. "Who put that there? Was it you Bob?"
"No" Bob the three-headed dog barked
"Was it you Will?"
"No"
"Was it you George?"
"Not"
"Then who was it?!" Wizzer yelled. "It doesn't matter," he said while picking the ball up......

Back in Emrold's house, Pearl was playing point chess. "Wow Pearl, you're good," Emrold said as Pearl won for the fifth time in a row. "Thanks Emroled," Pearl said "Got to go home. Bye!" As Pearl walked out the door, a three-headed dog tore Pearl's lucky necklace and clumped a right triangle burlap bag on Pearl's body "MMffeelffs!" Pearl yelled. But Emroled coulden't hear her! "Think, think, " Pearl thought. "Ahh, I can use my magic horn!" Then Pearl said this: "Cone horn, cone horn, on my head, turn that dog into a ruby so red!" POOF! The horn's magic worked! Pearl scrambled out and picked up the dog ruby. "Ha! Got one for the first time!" Pearl exlamed! So now Pearl never is bothered by Wizzer or the three-headed dogs.

And she lived happily ever after.

The End

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day y'all! The Young Crew had a great, albeit busy, day! It started with hugs and loves and Justin giving Valentines to all five of the gals in his life. The girls love each getting their own card from Dad each year and having him tell them why he loves them. It always produces the happiest smiles that early in the morning every year!

The older two girls rushed off to school after cards were opened. I sneakily did a Valentine theme in their lunches. (Heart shaped sandwiches, red apples, red-boxed raisins, red-wrapped Babybel cheese, banana-nut muffin baked in a pink polka-dot wrapper, a Rice Krispie treat with red and pink sprinkles, pink napkin, and a red love note that said "I LOVE YOU NUGGET!" with a Hershey's Nugget on it.) The girls told me they loved their surprise when they opened up their lunchboxes!

I went and helped out with Lauryn's class party this morning and had fun watching her and her buddies eat their snacks (it was more like a feast...I think all the grown-ups wanted to steal their kid's plates...I know I did!), do their craft and read a special Valentine story. I just love Lauryn's little school and was happy for the chance to be there with her!

(I wish I would have taken more pictures today! At least I caught a couple at Lauryn's class party...)

After Preschool I met up with the gals that I Visiting Teach for lunch. We hung out and chatted until the kids started getting too squirrely to sit any longer! Then it was off to run errands, pick up the older girls, homework, dinner, bedtime, you know, the nightly routine.

It was a simple and not particularly commercial Valentine's Day in the Young household. No dinners out, or dozens of roses, or any of that. But truthfully, I think it was perfect exactly the way it was. Surrounded by those that I love the most, soaking in the little moments that make life matter! It was a lovely day indeed!

Oh the Memories...

Justin was working on his computer in the Dining Room and this song came up on rotation. Talk about a total flashback! This song was like the anthem to my Freshman year in high school.
Random memories...

*Playing this song over and over until my friends were like "Uh, are you okay?!" It was just that good!

*My first "boyfriend" Ricky, the Asian dude who didn't floss. His gums were inflamed...I was a dental nerd before I was even a dental nerd. (I am going to say not a real boyfriend though in retrospect, even though we were 'going out.' We did not even kiss, we got sweaty palms just holding hands!)

* My friend Desiree and I thinking we could have our own girl band with our friend Renee named "Sarenidee" (as in our names fused together....I don't even sing people. What we were thinking? I don't know, the Spice Girls had taken over the world!)

*I remember being threatened to being arrested for shoplifting because I ate ONE of those sugar-covered, jelly orange slice things out of the bulk container at Cub Foods.

*I remember auditioning for the school play for the part of the maid...I freaked out and lost my Irish accent mid-audition and didn't get the part and then promptly swore I was never putting myself out there ever again.

*I remember the trombone players behind me in band class (my parents made me do it, don't judge) asked me if I wanted to "smoke a bowl" with them. I had no idea what they were talking about and thought it was one of those mean, freshman hazing things upperclassmen do. (No I didn't do it!)

*I remember one of my friends was dating the guy I had had a secret crush on in the 7th Grade and she was telling me about how they had 'done it' on her parent's bed. I was sitting in History class completely traumatized that my middle school crush; sweet, geeky Garth Gehlen was 'doing it' and on my friend's parent's bed. Sick!

*I remember having a total crush on my friend Annie's older brother Will and would love it when he would drive me home from school in his yellow, VW Bug playing "Low Rider" on the radio. I thought we were so cool.

*I remember asking a cowboy in Horticulture class if it was true that Wranglers (they wore them SO tight!) could lower your sperm count because the "boys" were snuggled up too close and got overheated. He freaked out and chewed me out in front of the whole class. I was like "What?! I am not trying to be mean! It's an honest question!"

*I remember being a Teacher's Assistant in the Attendance Office third period and sitting at the window humming "Better Than Ezra" songs to myself thinking it would be really cool to have a lot of t-shirts from different concerts...

*I remember the lunch room had this chicken sandwich thing that you could slather with Thousand Island dressing and it was pretty much the nectar of the gods. I could have eaten two or three every day! (But I didn't, but I could have!)

Alright enough memory lane, because this could go on all night. But its crazy what one little song sparked in my little, ol' brain tonight!

Super Bowl

You want to know what I did for the Super Bowl tonight? Not a dang thing! Justin went to our friend Rusty's house to watch the game with a pack of guys who were also flying solo from the wife and kidlets. I had the kids in bed by 7:00, parked it on the couch and read over a bunch of stuff for my new calling as Primary Secretary. ("Primary" is the children's organization at my church. Basically, Sunday School for the little nuggets under the age of 12. And a "calling" is an invitation to serve the Lord through voluntary service.) I know, I am so un-fun. But I have been feeling like boo-boo (it's a Young-ism) this week and dang it this girl was pooped! Here's to some semblance of productivity tomorrow...no guarantees. ;)

P.S. Heard all the buzz about how Madonna was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Watched it on YouTube and....eh. It was okay. Madonna kinda bugs me. I stopped paying attention after she started doing the nasty with barnyard animals and french-kissing girls half her age. Grow up.

Flashback

Maryn went to a birthday party for her friend, Jennsen, this afternoon at a roller skating rink down in Woodstock. I had total flashbacks walking in of me and my friend, Tina, at Sparkles Roller Rink when we were Maryn's same age. Roller rinks don't change much through the generations. Music blaring, loud carpet, sweaty kids whizzing by left and right, the concessions chocked full of sugary, nutritionally-devoid treats which are a complete must-have to participate in an authentic roller rink experience. There was even the prerequisite adult male there by himself skating alone. (My mom said there was always "that guy" even when she was a kid.) It made me laugh. Maryn had a great time and told me to calm down after I gave her the buddy-system, what's-the-secret-password, don't-talk-to-strangers talk before going out to the car to read while she had fun with her friends. I know it will be a blink of an eye before Maryn makes the trek to the roller rink with her own kidlets and will remember days like today fondly. I know I sure do!

A River Runs Through It

Tonight, for the first time, Justin and I watched 'A River Runs Through It.' I know, I am a little late to the game. It left me with such a haunting and profound reminder of the parallel lives that people generations and geography apart can have. That sadly my family's walk has been tread before.

A story of the Maclean family, like my own McLean family. Siblings raised with a knowledge of God by parents who loved them, who never stopped caring or hoping for them. One gone astray. The brother who wouldn't accept help. The brother bent on living his life according to his own rules, however treacherous. While the film was beautiful, it left me with a sadness knowing that the phone call will come, just like it did to the Maclean family, telling my McLean family that my brother is dead. And really despite the gut-wrenching heartache, not one of us will be surprised.

It's a sick feeling to see a path that will ultimately lead to death and you can only watch helplessly as innocent people get sucked into the warpath of reckless vice. But there is nothing you can do. Your hands are tied.

However, the words of Reverend Maclean, towards the end of the movie, seared into my mind as he said "Each one of us here today will at one time in our lives look upon a loved one who is in need and ask the same question: We are willing help, Lord, but what, if anything, is needed? For it is true we can seldom help those closest to us. Either we don't know what part of ourselves to give or, more often than not, the part we have to give is not wanted. And so it is those we live with and should know who elude us. But we can still love them - we can love completely without complete understanding."

I will never understand. But somehow, through the grace of God, I can still love. It's the only thing that has brought me an ounce of peace.

It's funny how life can blow you in different directions with the slightest breeze. I have had pictures and subjects I have wanted to blog about the last couple days and life just got away from me. There is something you should know about me...I almost always have the best intentions in the world. But it's my follow-through that lacks. My mom told me once and I know she is 100% right, "Sarah, you are a wonderful mother but your greatest struggle is going to be the same one I struggled with and that is being consistent." I'll start having Family Night regularly, or scripture study, or organizational systems or whatever and I start out gung-ho and something happens and it all falls apart. Whether it be a lack of time, energy, kids going banzai or whatever, my best intentions seem to fall by the wayside. Then I beat myself up and feel overwhelmed.

What I want and aspire to is living life more aware and more deliberately. To not let those moments derail me and all those lovely intentions of mine. To be what I want to be, not merely hope for it. I have been in a little funk of negativity the last week or two. I told my friend Laura, I don't know what is wrong with me. My life is better now than it has ever been, but I still felt like biting everyone's heads off. I let whatever was going on around me (kids screaming/fighting, rushing to get out of the house, whatever...) get to me. I was letting external influences determine my mood.

I have spent the last couple of days trying to get a hold of myself and to, pardon the expression, "Pull my head out of my butt." But I got the extra push this morning from Justin, who has also seemed to be overwhelmed lately, as he happily bounced down the stairs and said "I just listened to the greatest TED talk!!" Seeing him lightened and happy made me lightened and happy and it made me grateful that he was catching the vision I was trying to catch myself.

He shared the link with me and I too loved it. This TED Talk (which we LOVE! Way better than mindlessly watching t.v.) talks about the importance of positive outlook and how it determines our reality and not the other way around. It's funny, informative and left me with a smile on my face. If you want to check it out, click here.

I am going to try the recommended actions for creating lasting positive change that the presenter shared...

* 3 Gratitudes (Recognize three new things you are grateful for every day for 21 days. This will retrain your brain towards a more positive outlook.)

*Journaling (Write down one positive experience you had that day.)

*Exercise (Need to work on this...trains your brain that behaviors matter.)

*Meditation (Resist the urge to multi-task and truly focus on what you are doing in a moment.)

*Random Acts of Kindness (contact one person every day with words of kindness or affirmation.)

I know my faults are many and that I will always be a work in progress. But I am excited to at least feel like I am equipped with tools in bringing about personal success and not just hoping I am able to become the person I know I could be.

Daily Gratitudes

So my 3 Gratitudes for today include...

1. I am thankful for Justin and how after 12 years of highs and lows, I am more in love with him than I ever have been before.

2. I am thankful the sun is shining today! I am nicer, more motivated, and more inclined to be positive when I can see that blue sky smiling down on me.

3. I am thankful for new challenges. I have some new ones on the horizon and I know we can't become better if we are stagnant...so here's to moving forward!